


Innocence

by Laurenjames



Category: Original Work
Genre: Canon Compliant, Desert Island AU, F/M, Loch & Ness, Soulmates AU, modern day AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-16 06:14:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 1,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21031565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laurenjames/pseuds/Laurenjames
Summary: Assorted Drabbles by Commander Romy Silvers





	1. Lost at sea

**Author's Note:**

> Days until The Eternity arrives: 160.
> 
> I watched 4 series of FRIENDS today.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jayden is Lyra’s knight in shining armour.

Lyra counted the cuts she’d made in the bark of a palm tree. Sixteen. She’d been trapped alone on the island for sixteen days. She felt so tired, and so alone.

Lyra dropped her head into her hands, sitting in the warmth of the beacon bonfire she’d been burning for ten days, day and night, hoping a plane would see it and come and get her.

She was almost ready to give up all hope of ever being found.

Then she heard a noise. She looked out over the pastel pink sky. On the horizon, where the sun was setting over the ocean, there was a small plane.

Lyra stared at it, not quite able to believe her eyes until it was close enough that the buzz of engines filled her ears.

Belatedly, she jumped up, waving her arms in the air and shouting. She couldn’t believe this was actually happening. Somebody was coming. Finally, she wasn’t going to be alone any more.

“Here! I’m here!”

> fin.


	2. Nervous Flyer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyra hates flying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Days until The Eternity arrives: 158.
> 
> I have the worst cramps in the world. Searching stores for chocolate 🍫. I tried to make cake, but I couldn’t find any of the ingredients in stores. Then I scratched my leg when I was crawling out. Unlucky day, I guess!

“Shit,” Lyra said, as the plane left the ground, trying not to throw up. She hated the feeling that she got from flying, of helplessness, of being small and insignificant. “Fuck.”

“I’m sorry?” The man sitting next to her said.

“Sorry,” she replied, mortified that he had overheard. “I wasn’t talking to you. I hate flying. I’m a bit- nervous.”

“That’s okay. I’m Jayden,” he repeated, offering her a hand, slightly awkward in the small space. His limbs were long, bent at odd angles to fit in the seat. She shook his hand, annoyed by the way hers trembled slightly. “It’s a big thing – it’s perfectly natural if you’re a bit unnerved.”

“Lyra,” she said, trying to make her voice sound more normal. They were still holding hands when the plane shuddered a bit. Lyra squeezed his hand tightly, and didn’t let go.

“I’m here, I’ve got you, Lyra,” Jayden said in a low voice.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said. “I’m so glad I’m not travelling alone.”

fin.


	3. Soulmates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Days until The Eternity arrives: 146.
> 
> I swear the days have started moving twice as slowly since I started counting down to J’s arrival. It never used to take this long to finish each month. J sent me his favourite film today. It’s so funny. I wonder what other films I’ve missed out on, that aren’t on The Infinity’s harddrive.

Lyra had been writing letters to her soulmate since she was sixteen, but they had never met. Jayden was older than Lyra, and lived a long way away, so they had only been able to stay in touch by email.

When she came of age, her soulmark had been entered into the international database and come up as a match with Jayden. They both had a black crow-shaped birthmark on their inner elbows which was unique to everyone else’s in the world. It meant they were soulmates, the perfect romantic match for each other. They were destined to be together.

They had got to know each other slowly, through funny anecdotes and late-night emotional conversations, and it had been lovely. But after nearly a year of just messages, Lyra was desperate to meet her soulmate in person.

She stood at the airport, shifting nervously from foot to foot, her palms sweating as she held up the sign she’d carefully crafted which read “MY SOULMATE”, surrounded by sparkling glitter.

The passengers at Arrivals slowly filtered through customs, dragging heavy suitcases behind them. Lyra’s eyes flitted from person to person, trying to spot the one she was waiting for.

And then, appearing right in front of her by magic, was Jayden, face split in a huge smile, eyes twinkling with happiness.

“Lyra,” he breathed out, staring so hard at her that he didn’t even dare to blink. She reached out and pulled him into a hug.

She was home.

fin.


	4. Fight me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyra finds out Jayden has been keeping a big secret from her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Days until The Eternity arrives: 121. 
> 
> The footsteps are back. I think it’s footsteps, anyway. It could be claws.   
J sent me some new episodes of Loch & Ness, and OMG THAT CLIFFHANGER. I’m desperate for the next series. Did one ever get filmed? It must have been broadcast on Earth years ago, now.

“Why didn’t you tell me you’d been offered a job with the Federal Bureau?” Lyra hissed, bursting into the locker room where Jayden was getting changed.

Jayden’s expression dropped. “I was going to tell you.”

“But you didn’t.” Lyra folded her arms, then unfolded them and jabbed at Jayden’s shoulder.

“I’m-”

“We’re partners, Jayden. PARTNERS! You can’t keep things like that from me!”

“Will you let me talk!” Jayden burst out, raising his voice for the first time.

“When are you leaving?” she said too loudly, still jabbing his shoulder like she was seconds away from full-on punching him. “Were you ever going to tell me, or were you just going to DISAPPEAR?!“

“I’M NOT LEAVING-” he shouted back, grabbing hold of her hand to stop her hitting him.

“OH, SO YOU WERE GOING TO TELL ME, WERE YOU –”

“I _TURNED DOWN THE JOB _-” He grabbed her other hand as it swung at him.

“-BEFORE YOU PACKED UP AND -” Lyra tried to tug her hands free, but Jayden held on, taking a step closer towards her.

“-BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!”

“-FUCKING LEFT ME?”

They stared at each other, panting, faces an inch apart, and then Lyra registered his words and surged forwards to kiss him, still somewhere close to furious. He met her halfway, mouth opening against hers.

Their teeth clashed together until Jayden tilted his head to the side and then they both sank into the kiss, messy and desperate. Lyra pushed him back against the door, licking sharply at his bottom lip.

She held his arms above his head, pulling away to suck a furious hickey into his neck, nipping at the skin.

“I love you too,” she bit out, and his hand convulsed in hers, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he panted desperately.

“You’re mine,” he growled, pulling a hand free to wrap it around her neck, tug her closer, lick into her mouth.

Lyra gasped into the kiss, hand sliding down his lower back and fisting in his shirt, pulling his hips towards her. “You can’t- you can’t leave me.”

“I couldn’t leave you,” he said, pressing his forehead to hers, tongue darting out to lick across his bottom lip. “I need you to live, I’m not going anywhere.”

They stared at each other, lips red and swollen, eyes dark, and then Jayden tugged her back into a kiss, licking across her teeth and holding her tight with a hand on her neck.

fin.


	5. Genderswap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jayden gets turned into a girl by a witch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Days until The Eternity arrives: 93.
> 
> Sorry I haven’t been in touch much recently. I haven’t been - the ship isn’t - it’s not -
> 
> I’ve not been in the mood. Systems are still running here on The Infinity, if not well then at least survivable. I’m not sure if I can say the same about Earth anymore.
> 
> J will be here soon. J will come.

Annoyingly, Jayden’s eyelashes were even longer than before. He (she?) had long, flowing braids down her back, and the magic had somehow given her lipstick. _Pink lipstick._

And worst of all, her cleavage was more impressive than Lyra’s. Lyra reconsidered: actually, that was quite nice.

Still, the witch was messed up.

Jayden looked down at herself, perfectly plucked eyebrows rising in surprise. She twisted, peering at her butt in the tight dress that had replaced Jayden’s uniform. Her lips twisted into a pleased smirk.

“No need to preen,” Lyra muttered darkly. “Anyone could have guessed you’d make a pretty girl.”

“Yeah, but I’m _hot_, babe.” Her voice was still pitched low, so the words come out in a seductive croon which sent a shiver down Lyra’s spine. 

“No surprise there.” Something in her tone must have given her away, because Jayden turned to look at her. Lyra quickly jerked her gaze up from Jayden’s – again, very impressive – hips.

Jayden’s expression turned smug, and a little evil. “You like it.”

“What? No I don’t. Like what? What is there to like?” Lyra made herself stop talking. She sighed. “Yeah. It’s … sexy?”

Jayden took a seductive step towards her, and promptly tripped over in her ridiculous magical stilettos. She fell into Lyra’s arms with a screech.

“Fucking _witches.”_

fin.


	6. I’ll hold you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hurt/comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Days until The Eternity arrives: 77  
It’s hard to know what’s real anymore. I wake up and I’m not sure which of my dreams have come true and which of my nightmares are only in my head. 
> 
> My stomach cramps constantly and my hair is falling out. 
> 
> Help.

“Jayden,” Lyra cried, grabbing onto his arm. “It hurts.”

Tears ran down her cheeks, mixing with the rain.

Jayden’s hands were pressed against her stomach, trying to quench the flow of blood from the werewolf bite. She could see it trickling between his fingers, staining his brown skin a red so dark it was almost black.

“Lyra! Don’t you give up on me, Lyra, not yet. I need you. Just hold on a little longer,” he said, pressing his forehead to hers. It was a circle of heat in the cold numbness spreading through her. “Lyra, I’ve got you. The ambulance is on its way.”

“I can’t-” she gasped.

“You can, Lyra,” he said fiercely. Teardrops clung to the tips of his long eyelashes. “You can do anything. You’re stronger than you realise. I believe in you, Lyra Loch.”

“We never even-” she said, thinking of all the missed opportunities, the almosts. They’d never even kissed, and now she was going to die.

“We will,” he said, and she could feel his breath, soft against her cheek. “We will. This isn’t the end.”

Then she heard the sirens, and summoned up all of her strength. “We will,” she repeated.

fin.


	7. Gingerbread houses and other holding cells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyra is caught in a trap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Days Until The Eternity arrives: 62
> 
> At least I’ve got J. Not long, now. He’ll be here soon, and then we can fight whatever this is together. Our spaceships are so close now. I can almost reach out and touch him.
> 
> Come soon, J. Come as fast as you can.

At first, she couldn’t open her eyes. There was a thick gunk gluing her eyelashes together. Lyra forced her lids open, ignoring the tug as it pulled out her lashes. It was dark. So, so dark.

She was –

She was wrapped in some kind of mucus. A trap?

She tested its strength. As she moved, the mucus squeezed more tightly around her, clamping down on her ribs.

Definitely a trap. Possibly of some kind of enormous spider.

She shuddered, feeling the warm flex of solidifying mucus against her skin. There was a groaning hum, and she watched with horror as a set of yellow fangs pierced the film near her left eyeball. The fangs swayed, as if testing the air, and then jabbed towards her, sinking into the skin of her cheek.

Lyra cried out, expecting pain, but instead her cheek went numb, and she found she couldn’t move, couldn’t even blink.

The fangs pulled away, and prepared to strike once more.

As she drifted into unconsciousness, she heard a voice shouting her name.

fin.


	8. Wicked Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jayden and Lyra get captured when investigating a case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Days until The Eternity arrives: 0  
Sorry I’ve been out of touch again. Things have been ….. utterly terrifying for the last few months.
> 
> It’s weird to think that The Eternity would be arriving today if things had gone right. I imagined this day so vividly, building it up into a crystal clear memory of what was to come. And it all came to nothing.
> 
> I don’t know. I’m finding it hard to care about Loch & Ness as much these days. I wrote this one a long time ago - before I really knew anything about Earth. It feels weird now. Wrong.
> 
> I don’t think I’ll be writing any fic for a while. Sorry.
> 
> \- Commander Romy Silvers

“So, are we in her oven, or what?” Lyra asked. Her head was bent uncomfortably to the side against the top of the witch’s trap. “I didn’t know witches actually did that outside of fairy tales.”

Jayden shrugged. She felt the movement of his shoulder blades against her chest. “I have no idea. Somewhere small.”

He was warm where her skin touched his. Lyra touched people all the time, every day, but somehow, with Jayden, it was different. When she touched Jayden, her nerves lit up. She felt like she was touching the future.

Lyra shifted awkwardly, trying to adjust her position.

“So … what do we do?” Lyra asked, trying not to sound as embarrassed as she felt. They were very, very close together. She could smell his cologne. She could feel his heart beating against hers. Fast. 

“Let’s hope the witch doesn’t turn on the oven any time soon,” Jayden joked, but it fell awkwardly. There was a silence.

Jayden tried to turn to look at her, and their noses touched. Jayden’s ears turned pink. She thought if she really paid attention, she might be able to hear his pulse.

“At least we’re together,” she said, and in the darkness her hand found his. “We’re meant to be together.”

“I love you, Romy,” J said.

fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***This story is taken from the universe of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe, a published novel which is available now in all good bookshops. Read the book to find out what happened to Romy in between each entry of her blog. You can find out more at laurenejames.co.uk, where you can also sign up to my newsletter to receive bonus content about my books.***


End file.
